Note: This article was originally posted on March 2, 2017 on my old site.
It's that time again; Venus, the planet of love, charm, beauty and joy is about to take a six-week trip backwards through the zodiac. Unlike Mercury retrograde, which has an obvious and often frustrating effect, and Mars retrograde, which tends to have something of a mild draining effect, Venus retrograde doesn't feel bad at all, other than some subtle side effects.
When a planet, particularly a personal planet, is in retrograde motion, the planet's energy is shifted inward rather than outward. In other words, we're called upon to look into that part of ourselves ruled by said planet, and review where we are in that respect and what we need to do to evolve there.
When Venus is retrograde, it is a time for us to review how/who we love, what we love doing, and how we relate to others. How you will be affected by this depends on your chart. If Venus makes a hard aspect (conjunction, square or opposition) to your natal chart during a retrograde, expect to be one of the people who will be reviewing these things.
Venus will be stationing on October 5, 2018 at 3:04 pm Eastern Daylight Time, at 10° 50' Libra. She will station direct on November 16 at 5:51am, Eastern Standard Time, at 25° 14' Pisces. Therefore, if you have natal planets or points in the first half of cardinal signs or the last half of mutable signs, prepare to review and revise.
Now, some things to expect during this time:
Interactions may feel a little less...well...nice.
Venus rules social graces, such as charm, politeness and compromise. These things don't just get up and disappear into thin air during Venus retrograde, but we usually see just a little bit less of them, because conjuring these things up in ourselves tends to take more effort.
For example, I have had a couple of serious fallings out with friends during past Venus retrogrades - over literally NOTHING worth having a falling out over. Neither of us would back down from our opinions, reaching further and further into the realm of the ridiculous in order to prove rather unimportant points. This is because we have a tendency to lose sight of our social adeptness during these times, but also because in my case, I needed to review how I related to the people in question. I'm happy to say that one of these friendships recovered without scarring, but I did have to learn to change my set of expectations with this person. The other friendship did not recover, but that particular falling out started a chain of events which altered my social life - for the better. Several people fell out of my life, but as it turned out, they were rather toxic and I was better off without them. Remember, Venus is a benefic planet; however she affects you at any time is to improve and enrich our lives. Venus is always doing us a favor when she touches our lives.
That new look you're going for doesn't quite go the way you expected.
This is simple enough: Venus rules beauty, and her energy is directed inwards during retrograde periods. Therefore, getting a radical new haircut or wardrobe is considered to be unfavorable during this time. By all means, maintain your current look, but any big changes should remain in the planning stages until Venus turns direct. It makes me think of that episode of The Brady Bunch where Jan decides to 'stand out' at a party by wearing a wig that turns out to be extremely unflattering - to the point where her friends thought it was a practical joke. This is the sort of thing that can happen during Venus retrograde.
Wow. I'm showing my age now. Moving on...
Those of you in new relationships may (or may not) start to question things.
Again, this is highly dependent on several factors; the natal and progressed charts of the two people in the relationship, as well as their synastry. Venus retrograde often manifests in our personal lives by having us review our close relationships. This can be a significant other, a business partner, or a very good friend. The following thoughts might enter one's head during this time:
"Is this situation right for me?"
"Am I really happy and satisfied with this person?"
"What do I want in a relationship?"
This is absolutely, positively NOTHING to panic about. Think about it - isn't it healthy to occasionally take stock of your life and who is in it? Chances are, at the most you'll just want to make some minor adjustments, if at all. It's important to note that one shouldn't make these changes until Venus has turned direct again. This is because all of these issues have the potential to come under review until the day Venus stations.
Also noteworthy is the rule of thumb that if your relationship has already survived its first Venus retrograde intact, it will survive all future Venus retrogrades. If the relationship eventually ends, it will be reflected by other planetary energies. Even so, Venus retrograde is rarely, if ever, a relationship killer, at least not by herself.
Now, some things NOT to do during Venus retrograde:
Do NOT make major relationship decisions. This includes but is not limited to, getting married or engaged, or breaking up. Make those decisions only after Venus has gone direct.
Do NOT make major purchases, particularly on luxury items. There's a higher-than-usual probability that you'll look back on these purchases and ask what in the world you were thinking.
Do NOT make major changes to your look/style. This includes hair, wardrobe, and cosmetic surgery. You're more likely to get the same reaction that Jan Brady got with that awful wig.
Do NOT launch a business if you can help it.
All of the above things should be under review during this time - and even then, if this Venus retrograde isn't touching your chart, it's more than likely that this time will pass by unnoticed. After all, Venus retrograde is really the easiest of the personal planet retrogrades. Heed all of the above, and you will emerge a better and wiser person who is more in tune than ever with what brings you joy.
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